Defence secretary Wes Streeting is in Washington DC today to meet his US counterpart, Pete Hegseth, at the Pentagon. The Guardian reports that the meeting comes as relations between the two allies are strained by disagreements over Ukraine, Iran and the Middle East.
What happened
According to The Guardian, the meeting between Streeting and Hegseth is due at lunchtime at the Pentagon. It comes a day after Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visited London and said he felt betrayed by the US decision to throttle military access to the Starlink satellite internet system.
The Guardian says the UK now finds itself in the middle of a deepening dispute between the US and Ukraine. On Wednesday, the prime minister, Andy Burnham, met Zelenskyy and promised that he would engage in “laying the ground” for a reconciliation with US president Donald Trump.
The trip also covers security at home. The newspaper reports that the UK faces questions over whether it can protect US military bases in Britain to Hegseth’s satisfaction. More than one of those bases has been targeted by Iran, and this led to the recent withdrawal of 12 B-1 bombers from Fairford.
The Middle East is the third pressure point. The Guardian reports that the US is considering whether to help Saudi Arabia in its fast-developing conflict with Yemen’s Houthis. At the same time, Washington is trying to step away from a fresh outbreak of fighting with Iran before the US midterm elections next month. That leaves the UK with a difficult choice. It has largely stayed out of the Iran war, but in 2025 it acted as a junior partner to the US in a series of joint air strikes on the Houthis.
Before meeting Hegseth, Streeting is due to speak at the CSIS thinktank in a session called “the future of UK-US defence cooperation”. The Guardian notes that before he flew out, he avoided the difficult geopolitical questions. Instead he said he hoped that in future “Britain and America can lead the next generation of defence innovation”.
Why it matters if you live in United Kingdom
The talks may seem far removed from daily life, but The Guardian’s reporting links them directly to household costs. The newspaper says Labour recognises that fresh bombing in the Middle East could be hard to sell to the British public, because Trump’s war in Iran is being blamed for cost of living pressures and higher energy prices at home.
Energy bills are already a central political issue. The Guardian reports that the government has cut VAT on electricity bills. The chancellor, John Healey, is expected to announce a further package of energy support in his tax and spending statement on 28 October. That would come ahead of what is expected to be a sharp rise in the energy price cap in January. Healey told journalists at the International Monetary Fund meetings in Bangkok that he wants the budget to give Britain “a bit of breathing space”, while sticking to Labour’s fiscal rules.
If you are a resident watching your monthly costs, any UK decision to join new military action in the Middle East matters. The Guardian’s reporting suggests ministers know that public tolerance is limited while energy prices remain high.
Security is also a concern for people living near US military sites. The Guardian reports that Iran has targeted more than one US base in Britain, and that this prompted the withdrawal of bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. How the UK and US agree to protect these sites is one of the questions Streeting is expected to face in Washington.
Many internationals in the UK come from Ukraine, or have family and friends there. For them, Burnham’s offer to help repair relations between Kyiv and Washington is significant. The Guardian’s live coverage also reports that Healey has hinted at more support for Ukraine in the budget, though it gives no details.
What to watch next
The first thing to look for is any statement from either side after the Streeting and Hegseth meeting. It should show whether the two governments have agreed anything on protecting US bases in Britain, or on the UK’s role if the US decides to support Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.
Burnham’s promise to help reconcile Zelenskyy and Trump is the second thread. The Guardian describes the US and Ukraine dispute as deepening, so any sign of movement on Starlink access, or new contact between the two presidents, would be worth noting.
Third, the budget on 28 October will show how the government plans to support households with energy costs before the expected rise in the price cap in January, and whether it includes extra help for Ukraine. Healey has said he will stick to the spending plans set by his predecessor, Rachel Reeves, so any new measures will have to fit within existing budgets.
Finally, the US midterm elections next month could affect how far Washington is prepared to go in the Middle East. According to The Guardian, that in turn will shape the choices facing the UK.
Source: The Guardian
Sources
- The Guardian: Wes Streeting in US for Hegseth meeting as Ukraine tensions escalate – UK politics live, accessed 15 October 2026
The UK, for internationals
One email a week: the week's news for internationals in the UK, new practical guides and what changed in the cities. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
